Railroad signal apparatus.



No. 676,092. Patented lune ll, l90l.

' J. K. HODDINOTT.

RAILROAD SIGNAL APPARATUS. (Apphmt onflk dAp 30 1900) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No llodel.)

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lUNITED STATE-s i PATENT FFICE.

JOHN K. HODDINOTT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAILROAD SIG NAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 676,092, dated June 1 1, 1901.

Application filed April 30, 1900. Serial No. 14,833. (No modela) To aZZ whom it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN K. HODDINOTT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of 1711 Thomas avenue, city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Signal Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for notify= ing approaching trains or distant stations of the fall of an avalanche upon a railroad-track; and it consists of an apparatus which is automatically set by the fall of an object upon the track which would obstruct the track, so as to make the passage of the train dangerous, and give to an approaching engineer a semaphore signal and also a light-signal, so that a signal may be clearly seen both during the day and during the night.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a section of track, the contact device, and its connections with a semaphore and light. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic View of a sec tion of track with a contact device on both sides of the track and two semaphores and lamps intended to be located at suitable distances apart to warn trains approaching from opposite directions. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the contact device. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a section of track, showing a hill on one side, the avalanche-protectors beside the track, and the semaphoretowers suitably located beside the track.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is a railroad-track; 2, a contact device consisting of a number of insulated conductors 3 3, suitably maintained parallel to one another and parallel to the track and having suspended from them contact-plates 4 4. The conductors 3 3 are con-. nected by suitable Wires with a battery 5 and an electromagnet 6. '7 is an armature of the electromagnet, pivoted at 8 and having a spring 9 connected to the free end by which the armature is maintained in contact with a a contact device located in position to be closed by the action of the semaphore when ing.

their swinging too much from any cause other than that intended.

Referring to Fig. 2, 19 is a second contact device similar to 2 and connected in series therewith. Fig. 2 shows the position of the semaphores at both ends of a section of track desired to be guarded when both are down and in position to be seen and the switches 17 17 are closed and the lamps burnthe position of the parts when the semaphore is up and the contacts 2 and 19 are not closed. The semaphore will be held up by the latch 14 engaging the latch 16 of the armature.

The same figure shows in dotted lines By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the contact device is covered with a light but weatherproof box and lies on sleepers be side the rails. When an avalanche falls upon the track of a size sufticient to obstruct it, it will certainly also strike the box containing the contact device and crush it, when the pendent contacts 44 will engage one another, the circuit will be closed, and the semaphores operated.

Having now described my invention, What Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is v 1. In a railroad signal apparatus, the combination of a pair of conductors mounted parallel to the track, and in such relation to one another as to be brought into contact by the crushing of their housing, a housing covering the conductors, and adapted to be crushed by the fall of a heavy body upon it, with a batteryin circuit with the conductors, the circuit being open, and means for giving a signal actuated by the current when the circuit is closed.

2. In a railroad signal apparatus the combination of a pair of conductors mounted par-- allel to the track, andewith a series of pendcurrent when the circuit is closed'to give a ent contact=pieces secured to the conductors, signal to an approaching train. I0 and adapted to be brought into contact with Signed by me at Baltimore city, State of one another when abody falls upon the con- Maryland, this 361 day of February, 1900.

dnetors, a battery in circuit with the coh- JOHN K. HODDINOTT. ductors, the circuit being open, but adapted Witnesses:

to beclosed by the contact of the pendent J HENRY STROHMEYER,

contact-pieces, and means operated by the W. W. POWELL. 

